


Tangled Up

by unsettled



Series: Ironspiderhusbands [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluffuary, Hugs, M/M, Multi, POV James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Threesome - M/M/M, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Triad - Freeform, group hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-19 01:22:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29618445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unsettled/pseuds/unsettled
Summary: Rhodey knows both of them give great hugs. So why are they doing such a bad job of it with each other?(Prompt: Hugs)
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark, Peter Parker/James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Peter Parker/James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark, Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Series: Ironspiderhusbands [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2172705
Comments: 10
Kudos: 81
Collections: Fluffuary 2021





	Tangled Up

Peter's a good kid, but there are a few things Rhodey needs to teach him.

Like how to give Tony hugs.

You might think, looking at Tony, watching him, that Tony doesn’t need hugs, doesn’t even want them. 

You’d be very wrong. 

Maybe Tony does tend to duck away from them more often than not, especially when it’s from someone he doesn’t know, or even like all that much; Hammer was always clinging to him, and Obie—

Maybe Tony sometimes acts like he wouldn’t know a hug if it bit him, but the truth is, Tony likes being hugged. Wants to be hugged. When Rhodey gets him good, Tony just melts, clinging and sinking into contentment for as long as Rhodey will let him. It’s harder to catch him now, much harder than it had been when Tony was just a wary kid in way over his head at college, but it’s still doable. 

Easier if you catch him by surprise.

And it’s not like Tony doesn’t  _ give _ hugs. He hugs people all the time; hands them out casually, carelessly, like they’re nothing at all. Anyone that looks like them might need a hug? Don’t worry, Tony’s got this covered. Unless you reject it, which, Tony would be quick to say, is just fine. No big deal, everyone likes their space.

You’ll never have to reject one again, of course, because Tony remembers those things. Maybe a little more than he should.

Peter’s the same, when it comes down to it. He’ll give anyone a hug, and a good one too, not some half assed one armed, weak pat on the back thing. He’ll offer it up before it even seems like one’s warranted, much less wanted, but almost no one turns him down. It’d be like kicking a puppy, and that seems to make it easier for him. Easier for people to let him; it’s not because they want a hug, it’s so Peter’s feelings won’t be hurt. 

Right.

The kid hugged Fury once. And he  _ let _ him. He hugged fucking Bucky Barnes and didn’t get murdered, even if Tony about had a fit. 

So it’s really odd that Peter hesitates to hug Tony. He will, but he doesn’t just fling himself at Tony like he does with others, and he doesn’t hang on like he’s the only thing anchoring that person in place. 

They’re tentative. Almost delicate. Careful.

“Look,” Rhodey tells him, one time after he’d witnessed one extremely awkward hug between the two of them. “You gotta just go for it. I know you give great hugs, so let Tony actually have one.”

Peter fiddles with the hem of his shirt. “I just—”

“You’re not going to break him,” Rhodey says. “Believe me, he wants one,” and he can’t believe the skeptical look Peter gives him.

“Yeah, I don’t know about that,” Peter says.

“Uh huh. Which of us has known him longer?”

“Well,” Peter says, “people change.”

“Not that much. Trust me,” Rhodey says. “Just try it out. You’ll know you’ve got it when he sighs.”

Peter doesn’t look convinced; there has to have been something, somewhere, that went terribly wrong. Rhodey doesn’t know what, but— okay, they’re both a little sensitive and more than a little awkward, even if Tony’s practically made a career out of making it look eccentric instead. The smallest thing could have gotten blown all out of proportion.

By now, Peter’s mostly learned to listen to Rhodey’s advice, especially when it comes to Tony— mostly when it comes to Tony and not for much else, actually. So the next time and opportunity presents itself, Peter grabs it. Grabs Tony, his arms going around Tony’s stomach from behind, his cheek settling against Tony’s back. 

Tony startles, his eyes going wide, and freezes; Peter’s determined this time, though, and doesn’t back off. Doesn’t hesitate. Rhodey will have to reward him later.

It works. 

Tony’s stiff for a moment longer, and then his hands come up, covering Peter’s arms around him. Sighs, ever so quietly, and relaxes into Peter’s hold, shoulders slumping. “Hey,” he says, twisting his head around. “What’s up with this, kid?”

Peter rests his chin on Tony’s shoulder, and Rhodey can see his shy little smile. “Just wanted to,” he says. “I think you’re under quota for the month anyway.”

“Under— really?”

“Oh,” Rhodey says, “he’s right, absolutely. We can’t have that,” and then he’s got his arms around Tony too, half around Peter. Tony huffs, tipping his head forward until it’s resting against Rhodey’s collarbone.

“Guess I’m outnumbered,” he says. 

Rhodey smiles at Peter. “Oh no,” he says, sliding a hand up and hooking it over Tony’s shoulder, catching him a little more securely. There’s no getting away from them. “What are you going to do about it?”

Tony’s quiet. Turns his head, a little more tucked into Rhodey’s neck. “Nothing,” he says, and between them, Rhodey can feel Tony gripping Peter’s hand, their fingers catching each other.

“Good plan,” Peter says. Kisses the side of Tony’s neck, soft; turns his head a little and presses an equally soft kiss to the back of Rhodey’s hand.

“Very good plan,” Peter says, and Rhodey agrees.


End file.
